Electric switch



May 31, 1927.

1.630372 W. A. COATES ET AL ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed June 5, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 LO 2 I8 *fl Z 2 i 6 W Z L a W M 35 4 Q M I? 7 w l I 22 '6 1 I 1 IO I0 I II II I I, z I I 2 I Z '1 1 I o I INVENTORS WITNESSES. William Anselm floafes.

Geo 6? Edward Gifi'insai Dow Regir ald Da vies.

May 31, 1927. 1,630,372

w. A. cQATEs ET AL ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed June 5, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 as aa 55 a? 54 as. 0

INVENTORS WITNESSES:

Will/am Anselm Coafes,

y. 7 George Edward G'I'ffins &

775% Da v/d Re ina/d Dav/es.

' ATTORNEY Patented Si, 192*.

Units STATES;

PATENT @FFMZE.

WILLIAIVI AN ELM COATES', F CHORLTUN-CUM: EZ-XBDY, AND GEORGE EDW'ARD GIT- TINS AND DAVID REGINLILD DAVIES," OF STRETFOED, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, AS- SIGNQRS T6 WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MAI'IUE'ACTUBING' COMPANY, A GOR- EGRA'IFIQH OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application filed June 5, 1922, Serial No. 556,031, and in Great Britain July 13, 1921'.

Gur invention relates to electric-switch operating;- mechanisms and particularly to means tor operating a plurality of associated switches in a predetermined relation.

In electrmal distributing systems. two sets oi? bus-bars are very often provided for con nection either to a generator or to a feeder or distributing circuit, for example, and switches commonly known as selector :nvitches are provided by means-01 which either one set of bus-bars, which may be callcdlthe main bars, or the other set 01" bars, which maybe called the auxiliary bars. may be used. desircd.- T he selector switche; have a common terminal which is connected, through an isolating switch, to the conductor leading from the generator or the feeder leading to the distributing system, as the case may be. An oil switch is inserted between the isolating switch and the selector switches on both sides 01 thebus-bars.-' Vdhere a splitconductor system is employed, two isolating switches will. be provided, one in each portion of; the con.- du tor.

'ifhe object of the present. invention is to provide an improved construction by means oi? which, in a system similar to that above described, tlieisolating switch. and one or the other of the selector switches, as desired, may be operated by means of a single operi shaft or handle.

. ccordinato the invention, the main operating shaft or" theswitching apparatus is arranged to close one selector switch when turned. inone direction from a mean position and to close'the other selector switch when turned in the other direction, the-iso-- i i 1 is an electrical diagram illustrating als by way of eXample one use of the switches ot the kind to which. the invention relates,

Fig. 2 is aview', in side elevation, of the isolating and selector switches and the operating mechanism.

Fin is a similar view showing the selector switches in different positions, and

1;. lis a detailed perspective view showiagnthe operating cranks'ot' the switches siparated for convenience of description.

ilei'crring first to Fig. 1, a three-phase cable 1 having conductors 2 or three separate conductors 2, may be connected by means oi a main oil switch or circuit breaker l alternatively with a set of main bus-bars -ior a set of auxiliary bus-bars 5'. The -.irrangement for one of the cable'phase conductors 2 only is shown, it being iconsidered unnecessary to illustrate the others since they are connected in exactly similar manner. One of the conductors Q is shown as connected to a terminal 6 of the oil switch 3 by means of an isolating switch 7. It will. be understood that where split COIlLlUP- tors are provided there will be two isolating switches -7 which will be simultaneously operated for connecting the splits to the terminal 6 which will itself be split. The other tern'iinal 9 ot the oil switch 3 may be connected either with one of the main bus bars 4': by means of main selector switch it) or with one of the auxiliary bus-bars 5 by an auxiliary selector switch 11. It will be further understood that the invention in no way limited to three-phase systems.

Reference will vnow be made to Figs. 2 and wherein is illustrated, as already men tioned, the improved construction ot the switches operating in accordance with the invention. The two selector switches 10 and 11 arein this case arranged side by side in one end of'a container 12 such as'an oil tank. whilst the isolating switch 7 is dis posed in the other end of said container or oil tank. In the case of solit conductors. the two isolating switches 7 may be disposed side side in a similar manner to the selector switches 10 and i]. The main operat- Eng; shatt of the switches is indicated at 13 symmetrically disposed between the is0latinc; and selector switches and. in the particular form illustrated. above the switch head or castingv which latter may be of any convenient con truction and supported as desired. In some :cases, the main shaft 13 may be disposed within the tank. All the switches are of the same general description and this oeing the case only one of them wil be described in detail, namely, the isoswitch 7.

The bridges of the switches are preferably of the laminated-brush type, the laminations being clamped between rigid supporting members'lG and 17. Two such bridges are preferably employed in each switch arranged substantially vertically and adapted to be moved in a substantially h rizontal direction in relation to a pair o't' fixed contact members 18 and 19. The fixed contact member 19 is disposed substantially vertically above the contact member lb and is supported at a convenient distance trom the latter.

The contact members 18 and it) are supported by concentric conductors uitabljv insulated from one another, that is to say. the lower contact member 18 is connected to the end of an insulated rod 20 that pas through a tubular conductor 21 which carries, at its end, the contact member and is suitably insnlatet. The concent ductors are passed through a pert the switch head or casting 1 L ard ported therein by means ot' a be or in any other convenient manner.

The above described arrangement of the conductors 20 and 21 and certain of the switch operating devices forms the basis of our co-pending application, Serial No. 566,632, filed June 5th, 1922, and is particularly appropriate for the vertical dispositions of the contact members 18 and 19.

The two bridge members 7 siinuitaneouslv engage the contact n'ieinbers l8 and 1.9. syni metrically, at opposite sides thereof and the said contact members may of equal width but, as shown, the contact member 19 is preferably of greater width than the lower contact member 18 and the races of both contacts are in planes which make a small angle with the center line oi. the conthwtors 20 and 21. I e

The outer support n'ienibers l? of the lan'iinated brushes 7 forming the bridges are pivotally supported at 23 upon lever i'nenibers 24 'which are of substantially triangular shape and inaction constitutebell-crank levers. The lever members are both pivoted at 25 to a lug which preferably integral with the lower contact 18 and extends underneath'the latter. The tail portions 26 Oi the lever members 24-. are connected together by a pair of toggle links 27 and 28 which are pivoted together at 29. lVhen the toggle is substantially straight, the tail portions 26 of the members 24will be forced outwards and upwards about the common pivot 25 ot the members 24 whilstthe upper ends of the latter will be forced towards one another so that the constructed selector bridge members 7 of the switch are brought into engagement with the fixed contacts 18 and 19 of the switch. The toggle links 21' and 28 thus permit the switch to be closed with considerable force.

For operating the switch in the above manner, one of the links 27 or 28 is provided with a lever extension 32 beyond its pivotal connection 26 to the associated lever member 24, the said extension 32 being connected by means of an adjustable insulating connecting rod 33 with a crank ill mounted upon the switch-operating shaft 13. Vith this arrangement, when the crank Bl is operated to raise the rod 33, the switch is closed and. when the crank 34 is then moved in a reverse direction or released, the link 33 falls and the toggle links 27 and 28 collapse in an upward direction and the bridges T separate from the lixed contacts 18 and 19.

i-lttcntion is h-re directed to the similarly switches 10 and 11. shown respectively one in front of the other at the left hand side in Figs. 2 and 3. In Fig. 2 the main selector switch 10 is shown closed. its toggle links being straightened out whilst it will be observed that the bridges 11 ot the auxiliary selector switch are open, the toggle links of this switch being collapsed. In Fig. 3, the bridges 1t) oi the main selector switch are open whilst the bridges ll. of the auxiliary selector switch are in the closed position. The lever members 2e advantageously each comprise two plates which embrace the outer brush support 17, the toggle links 27 and 2S and the common pivot 25. It will be noted that the lever extensions 32 of all the switches extend inwards approximately into a vertical plane passing through the operating shaft 13.

The'isolating and selector switches above described are operated in the following manner, attention being now more particularly directed to Fig. l. The three operating toggle levers 32 of each of the switches. that is, one isolating switch and two selector switches, are connected to coresponding cranks 34, and 36 by means of the connecting links 33. The central crank 34 for the isolating switch is keyed to the operating shaft 13, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. at, and its hub is provided with projections 37 and 38 on opposite sides thereof as shown.

The other cranks and 36 which operate, respectively, the selector switches 10 and 11 are loosely mounted on the shaft 13 one on each side of the crank 34 of the isolating switch. The left hand crank (Fig. 4), which operates the main selector switch 10, is provided on one side of its hub with a projection 39 which, when the (ranks are vertically downwards, is angularly displaced with respect to the projection 37 on the central c ank. Similarly, the right hand crank 36 pertaining to the auxiliary selector switch is provided on its hub with a projection Hi0 which is angularly displaced by 180 with respect to the projection 39 on the left hand crank 35.

In F ig. at, the three cranks have been spaced apart for the purpose of clear illustration and description, as already stated. Actually the said cranks are adjacent one another so that the projection 37 will engage the projection 39 when the shaft 13 is rotated in the counter-clockwise direction (as seen from the left of Fig. so that both these cranks will be rotated from their normal downwardly depending positions into the elevated position shown in Fig. 2, and the isolating switch 7 and the main selector switch 10 are simultaneously closed. The projection 38 does not engage the projection 40 so that the auxiliary selector switch it is not operated. if, on the other hand, the shaft 13 is rotated in the clockwise direction. the projection 37 will not engage the projection 39, but the projection 38 will engage the projection 40 so that the cranks and 36 are moved to the position illustrated in Fig. 3 and the isolating and auxiliary selector switches are simultaneously closed. the main selector switch now remaining open.

The shaft 13 may be turned in any convenient manner, for example, by means of a simple crank handle or through the inter mediary of switch-operating mechanism of any desired description (not illustrated). The projections 37 to 40 are preferably so spaced and proportioned that a certain amount of lost motion is provided between the movements of the middle crank and the outer ones, in order to avoid the tendency for three switches to begin to move at one time.

In the case of a split conductor system the second isolating switch may be arranged by the side of the one illustrated in the drawing. that is to say, in line with the auxiliary selector switch 11, and may be operated by the crank 34 or another crank keyed on the main operating shaft. It will be understood, however, that any or all of the switches may be disposed in separate tanks or otherwise arranged.

Preferably, the lever members 24 are provided with faces 43 which engage the bottom surface of the fixed contact member 18, thereby limiting the outward movement of the members 24-.

It will be understood that various modifi cations may be made in the construction and arrangement of the switches and operating mechanism without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the invention is not limited to the type of switches described and illustrated, it being obvious that the cranks 34;, 35, and 36 may operate switches with horizontally disposed bridges.

lVe claim as our invention:

1. The combination with three switches. of an operating shaft for closing the several switches, a crank mounted on and fixed to the shaft for controlling one of the switches during movement of the shaft in either direction. and cranks loosely mounted on the shaft and actuated by the first named crank for controlling the other switches in accordance with the direction of movement of the shaft.

2. The combination with three switches. of an operating shaft for closing the several switches, a crank mounted on and fixed to the shaft for controlling one of the switches during movement of the shaft in either direction, and cranks loosely mounted on the shaft and actuated by the first named crank for selectively cont-rolling one of the switches during movement of the shaft in either direction.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names this 18th day of May, 1922.

lVILLIAM ANSELM COATEQ. GEORGE EDWARD GITTINS. DAVID REGINALD DAVIES. 

